Rebel Ice

November 14, 2005
The latest entry in Viehl's StarDoc series (Shockball
, etc.) centers on the question of identity after the heroine, Dr. Cherijo Tojin, crash-lands on an icy world and must make her way without her memories in an inhospitable environment. Cherijo finds herself in the middle of a civil war as the ex-slave inhabitants of the planet's surface fight for their freedom from the windlords, who live lives of luxury in orbiting cities. Cherijo has information about the true events of a massacre with political implications, and suddenly, as rumors that she has survived spread, everyone is looking for her. Meanwhile, Teulon, an outsider and a friend of Cherijo's husband's, manages to unite the rebel forces and drive them to action. When the final battle comes, the stakes are both personal and political, with individuals drawn into a confluence of events and betrayals that mirror Cherijo's confusion of identity. Well-drawn cultures and fascinating aliens are marred by busy point-of-view shifts and a trick ending that confuses more than illuminates. Still, action, adventure and undying love win the day.

December 15, 2005
The latest in the Stardoc series proceeds from Cherijo Torrin's crash on the ice-bound planet, Akkabarr. She lacks clear memories of her past and struggles to survive the harsh realities of life on Akkabarr and the routine of a " skela" , or handler of the dead. Meanwhile, her husband, Duncan Reever, has been searching for her during the two years since the Jado massacre. He finally tracks her to Akkabarr, where a rebellion interferes with his mission. The surface of the planet is a weapons depository, and the inhabitants are essentially slaves of the Toskald Windlords, who live in luxurious floating cities. A new leader among the Iisleg tribes of the surface seeks to destroy the Windlords' power, however, and that complicates locating Cherijo. When Duncan does, he finds that her time on Akkabarr has changed her in ways he never bargained for. The combination of intrigues surrounding the Iisleg rebellion, the search for Cherijo, and the shrouded truth about the Jado Massacre makes for a thrilling addition to the series. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)